Lives of the Apostles: Simon Peter

LIVES OF THE APOSTLES. I. SIMON PETER. BY PROFESSOR WILLARD DONE, PRESIDENT OF THE LATTER-DAY saints' college, salt LAKE CITY. Simon, or Simeon, as the name is sometimes written, was bom in Bethsaida, a little fishing village on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee, some years before the birth of Christ. He was the son of a man named Jonah, or Jonas, who was in rather humble circumstances. Hence Simon was forced early in life to adopt a calling and labor for his own support. He chose the craft of a fisherman, forming a partnership with his brother Andrew, and subsequently coming into close friendship with the two sons of Zebedee, James and John. It is a remarkable fact that all four of these afterwards became Apostles of the Lord Jesus. Peter first comes into prominence in the New Testament narrative, in connection with the preaching and baptizing of John the Baptist. That he was a disciple of John, is at least implied in the account which John the evangelist gives of the beautiful incident of the baptism of Jesus, and the Baptist's subsequent testimony to our Lord's divinity. It is also generally understood that he was one of those who left John and followed Christ, and were so impressed with the strength and sweetness of Messiah's character. (John 1 : 29-42). It was on this occasion, their first meeting, that Jesus bestowed upon Simon the surname Peter (or Cephas) a stone, by which he is more familiarly kno^Ti to us than by his own name. That Jesus, through his power of discerning spirits, recognized at

once the strength and firmness of Simon's character is evident. That the name was wisely bestowed, is proved by numerous events in his subsequent history. It does not appear that Peter and his associates were finally called as Apostles of Christ on this occasion. This final call occurred, we do not know how long afterward, while the four men were engaged with their boats and nets on the Sea of Galilee. The incident as related in Luke 5: 1-11, is as follows: The people were crowding Jesus so closely that he took a seat in Peter's boat and had him push out a short distance from the shore. After Jesus had finished teaching the people, he told Peter to push out farther, and lower the net. Peter answered that they had toiled all night, but had taken nothing. Nevertheless, he and Andrew launched into the deep and lowered their nets. So many fishes were caught that the net began to break. James and John came to their assistance, and both boats were filled with fish, until they were about to sink. Then Peter, apparently seeing the intent of the miracle, fell down before the Master, exclaiming, ''Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, Lord!" Jesus answered him, "Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men." When they had brought their ships to land, the four left everything and followed Christ. About this time, Jesus took up his residence in Capernaum, probably at Peter's house, as Peter, no doubt, was then living in that village. It was here that the well-known incident of healing Peter's wife's mother from an attack of fever, occurred. From this time Peter and his associates followed Jesus throughout Galilee, Judea, and Samaria, assisting him in his ministrations, and listening to his teachings. When the Apostles were chosen and ordained, Peter's name stood at the head of the quorum list; and this distinction is granted him in all the lists of Christ's intimate followers. The primacy of Peter was doubtless recognized from the first. During the first two years of Messiah's ministry,the individuality of all the Apostles of Christ seems to have been swallowed up in his own. We would naturally look for Peter to be among the first who asserted themselves, and we are not disappointed. It was after the feeding of the five thousand, which occurred in the wilder ness on the north of the Sea of Galilee. The people were importuning Jesus to be their king. In order to escape them, he

dismissed his Apostles, commanding them to cross to the western shore, while he retired alone into the mountain to pray. Toward daylight, he approached their boat, walking upon the water. "When Peter knew that it was the Lord, he attempted to walk out and meet him, but failed at last, through lack of faith. Soon after reaching the shore, they went to Capernaum, where a large number of Christ's disciples deserted him, on account of his reproofs. Turning to the twelve, Jesus asked if they, too, would leave him. Then this mingled faith and impulsiveness of Peter manifested itself, in his noble answer, "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." (John 6: 68, 69). This confession and the subsequent one, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God," (Matt. 16: 16), have been referred to throughout the Christian era, as the type of a true faith in Christ. It was soon after this second declaration, that Peter's zeal for his Master overstepped itself, and earned for him the strongest rebuke Jesus ever gave directly to one of his followers. Jesus had predicted to his Apostles the fate which awaited him at Jerusalem, and Peter had said, "Be it far from thee. Lord: this shall not be unto thee;" when Jesus turned and said, "Get thee behind me, Satan; thou art an offense unto me: for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men." Six days afterward, occurred the glorious incident of the transfiguration, which Peter, James, and John were alone permitted to witness. A little later Jesus and his immediate followers went down into Judea, where the closing incidents in his eventful life occurred. In connection with the life of Peter, we are most interested in the events of the night preceding the cr ucifixion, because they give us an insight into some of the peculiarities of Peter's character. When the paschal supper had been prepared, the twelve, with their Lord, sat down to the repast. Then occurred the remarkable series of conversations, prophecies, prayers, and exhortations, which cause the ante-mortem discourses of Socrates to sink into insignificance. Among these was the prediction of the Apostles' desertion of Jesus, against which Peter protested so vehemently: "Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended." Messiah's answer was sadly prophetic:

"Verily I say unto thee, this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice." Again Peter, James and John were honored with our Lord's close confidence, in being chosen to watch, lest he should be disturbed during his prayer and suffering in the garden of Gethsemane. That they should fall asleep at this critical juncture, is scarcely to be wondered at, as it was long past midnight; nor do we wonder that Peter, stung no doubt by the gentle rebuke, "What! could ye not watch with me one haur?" and roused by the further remark, "Sleep on now; * * behold, he is at hand that doth betray me;" should have impulsively drawn his sword and attempted his Lord's defense. * Restrained from this, he followed Jesus at a distance, was admitted into the hall of the high priest's house, and there fulfilled the Master's sorrowful prophecy, by his three-fold denial. This was a crisis in Peter's life. The firmness inherent in his own nature was no longer depended upon implicitly, but was reinforced by the strength arising from the possession of the Spirit of God. Henceforth we shall expect to find him foremost in apostolic works—one of the first to run to the sepulchre after the resurrection, (John 20: 2-10) ; the first to leave his boat and net, and greet the risen Lord, (John 21 : 4-11); the one to whom were given the keys of the kingdom, and the injunction to feed the Master's sheep, (John 21 : 15-17) ; and the one to assert apostolic authority, direct the filling up of the quorum of the twelve, and deliver the first gospel sermon (Acts 1, 2). A sober, dignified firmness took the place of his former hasty zeal; and with prudence, sagacity, and patient endurance, he proceeded to the work of the ministry. Bonds had henceforth no terrors for him. From denying his Lord before a mere servant girl, he arose to a dignified acknowledgment of him before an angry Sanhedrim, and a declaration of his determination to continue preaching in Christ's name in spite of their prohibition. The events of Peter's life during the apostolic age are full of interest to us. Soon after the ascension of Christ, Peter called the disciples together, to the number of 120, in an upper room and after explaining to them the nature of Judas' fall, and the necessity of choosing another to fill his place, he directed the balloting by which Matthias was chosen to the apostleship. Ten days after the ascension, on the day of Pentecost, the Jews having assembled

together from all parts of the civilized world, there occurred the mighty endowment " with power from on high," the bestowal of the Holy Ghost. Attracted by the great manifestations accompanying this event, the multitude came running together, and manifested astonishment at the fact that the inspired ones spoke in tongues which all the assembled nations understood. Roused by the insinuation that this was a manifestation of drunkenness, Peter bore a powerful testimony to the presence of the Spirt of God, and ''pricked the Jews to the heart" by his straightforward recital of the death and divinity of Jesus. Then in response to their earnest question, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" he preached the gospel of repentance, baptism, and the laying on of hands, the result being the conversion of three thousand souls. The next event was the healing, by Peter and John, of the lame man at the "beautiful gate" of the temple. It was his appearance in the temple as the first herald of the Apostles' healing power, and the testimony of Peter that this power came from Christ, whom though ignorance the Jews had slain, that brought upon the Apostles the active opposition of the priests. Following close upon the miraculous death of Ananias and Sapphira, and the fame spread abroad through other notable miracles, the Apostles were seized by the high priest and his associates, and cast into the common prison. Delivered thence by the angel of the Lord, they went to the temple and taught the people. Brought before the Sanhedrim, they, through Peter, their spokesman, boldly refused to cease proclaiming Christ; but they were saved from bitter persecution by the wise counsel of Gamaliel. (Acts 7: 34-42). Mention should be made of the visit of Peter and John to Samaria, to confer the Holy Ghost upon those who had been baptized by Philip. The incident is interesting, not only because it proves that the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood is required to bestow the Holy Ghost, and that this is done by the laying on of hands, but because of Peter's meeting with Simon Magus. This sorcerer, attracted by the manifestations accompanying the ministrations of the Apostles, offered money to Peter, in order to buy the wonderful power. Peter's rebuke established forever the principle that the gifts of the gospel are free, and that any attempt to turn them into a means of merchandise is most reprehensible.

Tradition has it that Peter met and vanquished Simon Magus many years later, in Rome, but authentic history gives no warrant to this idea. When Saul, afterwards called Paul, was converted, he reported to Peter immediately on going from Damascus to Jerusalem, (Galatians 1: 18), thus acknowledging Peter's primacy. It was not long afterward that Peter made his memorable visit to Joppa, where occurred the raising of Tabitha from the dead, the vision demonstrating the worthiness of the Gentiles to be accounted worthy of the gospel, and the visit immediately afterward, of the messengers of Cornelius. The incident of the conversion of Cornelius is so important as to deserve more than a passing notice. It was the opening of the door through which the gospel was carried to the Gentiles. Being a Jew, Peter had all the prejudices of his race against the Gentiles. He considered them as not entitled to the blessings of the gospel of Christ. The words of Jesus when he sent the Apostles out to preach during his life-time, "Go not into the way of the Gentiles," (Matt. 10: 5), seem to have impressed Peter more strongly than the command given after Christ's resurrection —"Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature," (Mark 16: 15). Therefore, it required a very strong manifestation to convince him of the worthiness of the Gentiles to receive the gospel. As he was praying on a house-top in Joppa, he became hungry, and in his trance or vision he saw a sheet which came down from heaven, filled with all kinds of animals, clean and unclean. A voice came to him saying, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." In reply to his remonstrance against eating animals prohibited by the law of Moses, he was told not to call that common or unclean which the Lord had cleansed. This was twice repeated, and immediately afterward the messengers of Cornelius came to him. Accompanying them to Csesarea, Peter fully understood the significance of the vision, when he heard the testimony of Cornelius, and saw the Holy Ghost poured out upon the Gentiles, as a sign of their worthiness to receive the gospel. " Of a truth," said he, " I perceive that God is no respector of persons; but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." And again, "Can any man forbid water, that these should

not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? " When Peter returned to Jerusalem, he had to face the charge, "Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised and didst eat with them." He answered it by relating the incident, with such earnestness that his accusers exclaimed, " Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." Peter continued to advocate the equal rights of Jews and Gentiles who accepted the gospel, when, in a council at Jerusalem, he advised that all Gentile converts should be exempt from circumcision, the decision of the council being to that effect. (Acts 15: 6-11). This was perfectly consistent with his action in the case of Cornelius, at Csesarea. Only once did he seem even for a moment, to depart from this consistent course; and we have only an ex -parte statement of this event. It was when, in Antioch, he withdrew from the Gentiles, with whom he had been living on terms of closest intimacy. He withdrew from them, it is supposed, through fear of the censure of the Jewish party, who seemed still to be filled with the old prejudice against their Gentile brethren. This apparent weakness aroused the indignation of Paul, who was full of zeal and energy in the cause of the Gentiles, and he "withstood Peter to the face." Paul's opposition to Peter on this occasion arose from a natural fear that Peter's lack of consistency would do injury to the cause of the gospel, especially among the Gentiles. The passage on which our knowledge of this incident is based, occurs in Paul's letter to the Galatians, (2: 11-14). This is the last event in the life of Peter positively known to us from the New Testament. Many traditions exist regarding his later life, and a few of these will be briefly stated, with the caution that they must not be accepted as authoritative, though we have some reasons for supposing them true. One of these traditions is to the effect that he visited Babylon and lived there for some time, and that his first epistle was written from that city to the Church at large. The evidence for this is contained merely in the closing words of this epistle. We have no other evidence that he ever was in Babylon. Another tradition, of rather more doubtful authority, states that he visited the regions of Asia Minor, and even some of the northern coasts of the Black Sea, preaching to the Jews in those places.

But our chief interest lies in the tradition that toward the close of his life Peter visited Rome, became bishop of the Church in that city and suffered martyrdom there in the persecutions raised by Nero, about 67 A. D. Regarding his visit to, and brief residence in, the city of Rome, we have no great doubt; it is generally admitted that he spent the last few years of his life there. It is just as freely admitted that in all probability he suffered martyrdom there during the Neronian persecutions. But it is certain that he never was bishop of Rome. The prophetic recital of his death as given by Jesus, is recorded in John 21 : 18 : " But when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee [on the cross], and carry thee whither thou wouldest not." The tradition of his death is most beautiful. Nero was committing the most shameful atrocities against the saints in Rome; and his fiendish ingenuity was almost exhausted in devising for them the most terrible forms of death. They were crucified, torn by wild beasts, covered with pitch and burned, and put to death in various other ways. Peter's life was most precious to the Christians at Rome, and they persuaded him to flee for safety. As he passed the walls of the city, he met the Lord, toiling toward Rome, with his cross on his back. "Quo vadis, Domine?" (Whither goestthou, Lord?) he asked. "I go to Rome, there to be crucified again," said Jesus. Peter fully understood the significance of the remark; and instantly he turned around, retraced his steps to the city, and suffered death on the cross. An embellishment is added to the story in the statement that he was crucified head downward, at his own request, since he considered himself unworthy to die as Jesus died. We scarcely feel like accepting or rejecting this statement. Whatever the manner of his death, however, we must suppose that he met it with the devoted heroism and righteous zeal which characterized the whole life of the " chief of the Apostles." At this supreme moment we would look for anything rather than uncertainty or wavering. The reader has no doubt gathered from these events in Peter's life, a good estimate of his character. Therefore, by way of conclusion, merely a brief statement only of the main elements of his character will be inserted here, from the writings of Dr. Hamilton:

"It would be hard to tell whether most of his fervor flowed through the outlet of adoration or activity. His full heart put force and promptitude into every movement. Is his Master encompassed by fierce ruffians? — Peter's ardor flashes in his ready sword, and converts the Galilean boatman into the soldier instantaneous. Is there a rumor of a resurrection from Joseph's tomb?—John's nimbler foot distances his older friend; but Peter's eagerness outruns the serene love of John, and past the gazing disciple he rushes breathless into the vacant sepulchre. Is the risen Savior on the strand?—his comrades secure the net, and turn the vessel's head for shore; but Peter plunges over the vessel's side, and struggling through the waves, in his dripping coat falls down at his Master's feet. Does Jesus say, ' Bring of the fish ye have caught ? ' —ere any one could anticipate the word, Peter's brawny arm is lugging the weltering net with its glittering spoil ashore, and every eager movement unwittingly is answering beforehand the question of his Lord, 'Simon, lovest thou me?' And that fervor is the best, which, like Peter's, and as occasion requires, can ascend in ecstatic ascriptions of adoration and praise, or follow Christ to prison and to death; which can concentrate itself on feats of heroic devotion, or distribute itself in the affectionate assiduities of a miscellaneous industry."